SPINNING REELS - SHIMANO
For many anglers there are two brands of spinning reel - Shimano or Daiwa.
Shimano Vanford C5000XG
Confusingly the same size as the Vanford 4000XG, this almost stupidly lightweight Shimano Vanford C5000XG has become my favourite reel so far in the new Vanford lineup. I absolutely love the handle design, it’s as insanely smooth as you’d expect, the line lay is almost beyond perfect and you basically can’t get wind-knots (kiss of death?!), and because it’s so light in the hand I am more than happy using this Shimano Vanford C5000XG reel when I’d turn to the smaller 2500/3000 size Shimano reels on the shorter and/or lighter rods. Amazing reel. Initial impressions review here, full review here..
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL
Exactly as you’d expect so far - sublime. This new Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL spinning reel is light and smooth and gorgeous to lure fish with. Time will tell and I will report back after a lot more time with it, but so far, so good. Review here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
2500 version: Fishing Megastore.com
3000 version (same size as the 2500): Fishing Megastore.com
The new 2023 Shimano Stradic: Veals Mail Order
Shimano Vanford C3000HG
Fairly early days with this spinning reel, but so far this Shimano Vanford C3000HG is exactly what you’d expect - very, very light, uber-smooth, delightful to lure fish with, and about as much reel for the price as I could ever hope for. Review here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Shimano Vanford 4000XG
So lightweight that you could easily use this Shimano Vanford 4000XG as a 3000 size spinning reel if you want. Does that make sense? Not sure it matters really, because this thing is a serious stunner. Review here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Shimano Twin Power XD C3000HG (2017 model, discontinued)
I love lure fishing with this Shimano Twin Power XD C3000HG spinning reel and that’s it really. Smooth, light, stunning to fish with, I think I have found my perfect spinning reel - and now all I have to do is hope that it lasts as long as the price suggests! Does not come with a spare spool. Check out my review here, an update after one year of hard use here, and two years of use here.
Shimano Exsence 4000MXG
Reassuringly expensive! What on earth can I tell you about this sublime spinning reel that you can’t already guess? Very light, smoother than butter, perfect line-lay, sexy as hell, as good as it gets basically.